


sweeter, better, angel (I just try to be me)

by NOIRequin



Series: add this song to your heart [13]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action Figures, Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Anxiety, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Bathing/Washing, Gen, Nightmares, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Is a Troll (Miraculous Ladybug), Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NOIRequin/pseuds/NOIRequin
Summary: When Adrien needed to relax after a particularly rough day, Plagg suggested to burn some restless energy, using numerous entertaining things in the room. The kwami wasn't prepared to see his chosen fighting bubbles in the bathroom.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg
Series: add this song to your heart [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876561
Comments: 15
Kudos: 63
Collections: Miraculous Fanworks Anniversary 2020, Miraculous: Spin The Record Challenge





	sweeter, better, angel (I just try to be me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Katiechat (ladykateofledfordpark)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladykateofledfordpark/gifts).



> In November, we're celebrating one year anniversary of [Miraculous Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks). Gifting one-shots to members is the part of the celebration.  
> My second gift is for Katie who asked for some Adrien&Plagg wholesomeness. I chose ["Business Dinners" by Sigrid](https://bit.ly/3kg1IKU) to build this story  
> And yes, this is another entry to my **Spin The Record Challenge** (see the linked collection).  
> Thanks to [Khanofallorcs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs/pseuds/Khanofallorcs) for beta-reading.  
> Enjoy! (if you're uncomfortable with Gabe's A+ parenting, you can skip first two parts. and please remember that your wellbeing means way more than any people's expectations).

> **_In the silence, on my own_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Oh, I've been feeling kinda low_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Trapped in my head from the moment I wake up_ **

Adrien sat upright in his bed, gasping and trembling from a nightmare about a failed photoshoot. He, who was supposed to look  _ radiant, carefree, and dreamy _ , fell from the clouds like a sack of potatoes and then was forced to listen to his father’s relentless scolding. No wonder that the boy woke up in a cold sweat after those visions. 

The boy checked the time on his phone. Five minutes left before the alarm. He sighed and fell back on his pillows, feeling an incipient headache. 

Dozens of thoughts attacked his half-asleep brain. Most of them were about upcoming photoshoots for the newest spring-summer collection. He was supposed to play the role of the angelic boy again, hence the nightmare about running on clouds.

After the alarm went off, Adrien got up and started getting ready for the day. Half an hour later, Nathalie knocked at his door to inform him about his schedule for the week. He nodded, trying to appear attentive, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere. 

The young model had several photoshoots scheduled for this week, but no one bothered to cancel his meetings with the Chinese tutor or allow him to skip fencing training. He was certain that either Gabriel or Nathalie would also check his piano progress closer to the weekend. 

When Nathalie left his room, Adrien sighed dejectedly and rubbed his eyes. He threw books, notes, and a couple of assignments in his school bag and went to the dining room for breakfast, gesturing to Plagg to follow him. The kwami started saying something about his cheese supplies, but Adrien shushed him. Plagg grumbled something and hid into the school bag.

> **_Oh, you just want me to be_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Sweeter, better, angel, yeah_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Business dinners_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_You just want me to be_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Pictures, numbers, figures, yeah_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_Deeper, smarter_ **

The morning photoshoot seemed to be long and boring. The rest of the school day dragged impossibly slowly. And then the fencing lesson on top of it where he was defeated countless times due to lack of concentration. Adrien got home when it was getting dark. He entered the mansion, counting each step to his bed, looking forward to a couple of hours of lying in silence. Plagg was snoring lightly in his shirt’s pocket.

But instead of a comfy mattress, fluffy pillows, and warm blankets, the boy was met by his father’s cold and disapproving stare. Gabriel stood at the door of his atelier, watching his son intently. “Come here, we need to talk,” he said sternly and went back to the studio.

Adrien’s stomach dropped. He made sure that Plagg wasn’t visible in his shirt’s pocket, put on his cheerful demeanor, and followed his father’s steps.

Gabriel scolded him for not focusing enough on his Math, Economics, and Chinese lessons. Then the designer looked through the fresh pictures from the morning photoshoot and chided Adrien, saying that he’d done his job unprofessionally.

Adrien clenched his fists. He so desperately wanted to say that the main reason for this predicament was his overloaded schedule, not lack of trying to be good enough. The retort was already on the tip of his tongue, but the boy restrained himself. Instead, he looked at the screen and was surprised to see a lifeless mannequin instead of his signature lighthearted expression and dazzling smile.

He must have been really exhausted to not manage to maintain his well practiced expressions.

Gabriel dismissed his son, telling him to dedicate more time to his studies this evening and ordering Nathalie to check up on the boy later. Adrien just nodded, replying formally "Yes, Father. I will do my best.", then exited the atelier in silence.

> **_Standing on the shoreline,_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_I just wanna swim and float_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_(I just wanna know)_ **

He threw his bag on his bed and plopped himself next to it.  _ ‘I need to calm down quickly so as not to attract an akuma,’ _ the boy thought, trying to breathe slowly and deeply, tense and relax his sore muscles. Then he took his phone out of his pocket and turned on a playlist with calm music. 

Adrien tried to focus on the melodies and continue breathing deeply. Some of the tension left his body, but anger and frustration still boiled in his chest. Several thoughts were swirling in his head, dragging him back into the spiral of negativity. 

Plagg was another loud (although more welcome) distraction. The little being was gulping down the Camembert pieces one by one, moaning in delight. Adrien watched him for a couple of minutes. The kwami lifted his gaze and met his chosen’s eyes.

He swallowed and asked, “What?”

“I wish I was as unperturbed by the difficulties of life as you are,” Adrien said wistfully.

Plagg snorted, “You’d be too if you were hanging around for millenia.” 

The kwami left his cheese stash and flew closer, landing beside Adrien’s head on the pillows. “Stop sulking and do something. You have a lot of nice things here. Blow the dust off them at least once.”

> **_There's a castle in my room_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_I want it all, but I don't wanna wake up_ **

Adrien found the advice to burn some restless energy while moving around to be reasonable. He went up and down his rock-climbing wall several times, then began throwing a ball at the basketball hoop, mostly missing. Then the boy went to his small arcade station to play some rounds of Just Dance. He fell on the floor, panting, after one particularly difficult move during the third song. 

All this fuss made him even more anxious. 

Adrien got up from the floor and went to sit in front of his computer setup. He reached to the button to turn the screens on. His gaze caught on the action figures of Ladybug and Chat Noir sitting back to back under one of the monitors on his desk. The boy had a large collection of different merchandise, but these items portrayed him and his partner most accurately.

His fingers gently brushed the dust off them. He hadn’t played with figures in ages. Adrien looked around the room, trying to come up with the backstory and the location. “Well, why not make it even more enjoyable and relaxing?” he murmured, noticing the bathroom door slightly open. Plagg, who was back to his cheese, eyed him suspiciously from his spot but said nothing.

Adrien scooped those figures, shrugged off his white shirt, and went to the bathroom.

> **_Swept over by the undertow,_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_I just wanna swim and float_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_(You just want me, just want me to be)_ **

Hot water filled the big bathtub quickly. Adrien folded his clothes and put them into the laundry basket. He took a lavender bath bomb from the shelf and threw it into the bathtub. It started spinning, giving the water a light purple shade. Adrien plunged into the water, hissing in delight. 

He took a comfortable position and laid still for several minutes. The numbness slowly dissipated from his chest; his neck, arms, and legs became more relaxed. He closed his eyes and imagined himself floating. Being in water always gave him an exhilarating feeling. He was able to name it only after becoming Chat Noir: freedom and easiness. 

Floating in the water and soaring through the sky helped him to break free from the golden cage of his home, leave behind his overloaded schedule, father’s and teachers’ expectations, the fan mob chasing him everywhere...

His hand brushed the action figures, knocking Chat Noir off in the water. Adrien chuckled, fishing out the plastic superhero. He took Ladybug in his other hand and started to act out the battle.

“Hurry, M’Lady,” he cried, making Chat Noir punch the purple bubbles violently. “I’m purr-rounded, could use some help!”

“Coming, Chaton!” Adrien answered himself in a high-pitched voice, making Ladybug dive under the water.

He lifted Chat Noir and dropped him in the foam. “AHHHH!” he shouted, trying not to giggle. “Help me, Ladybug, I’m injured. Save me...” he whispered dramatically.

The superheroine doll emerged next to his alter-ego’s figure. Adrien made her drag Chat Noir’s plastic body to the edge of the bathtub. He sat her there, placing the black body on her lap. She cradled Chat’s head to her chest. 

“Don’t worry, Kitty, I’ll heal your wounds. You’ll be as good as new with Lucky Charm’s help, I promise!” he murmured lovingly, making Ladybug’s hand pat Chat’s head. Ladybug always hugged him tightly after saving his Chat Noir self from danger. But he’d prefer to hear more comforting and reassuring words than scolding for his recklessness.

The boy was so engrossed in the acting that he didn't notice his kwami flying into the bathroom until the loud cackling brought him back to reality. 

> **_You say I got some attitude_ ** **_  
> _ ** **_'Cause I want it all and I don't wanna wake up_ **

“Hahahahah!!!!” Plagg was laughing and flipping in the air, still holding onto the piece of Camembert for dear life. “Look at this damsel in distress, hahaha!”His big green eyes glistened with tears of joy. “Oh kid, you never cease to amaze me!" 

“What brought you here, Plagg?” Adrien grumbled. “I thought you said that you don’t like being near water.”

“I do not,” Plagg swallowed his cheese and landed next to the figures at the bathtub’s edge. He crossed his paws and looked at Adrien mischievously. “But I heard a noise and decided to check if you’re still floating in the clouds of bubbles or already drowned in your misery.”

> **_And I'll just try to be me_ **

Adrien’s expression darkened. “I wish I could forget everything about my father’s disappointment, all those extra activities packed in my schedule, and the image to uphold. At least for an hour.” He glanced at the embracing figures. “I wish I was as free as Chat Noir everytime. I wish I could just roam around, see the city from different sides, do something useful, and have fun at the same time.”

“This fun, as you put it, comes with a price,” Plagg noted. “Even though you’re a tough kid and do your job well, your and Ladybug’s path will never be covered only in rose petals, no matter how much you want it to be.” He grinned, enjoying his chosen’s embarrassed look.

“You traitor!” Adrien spluttered, blushing. "When are you going to stop reminding me of that situation?" He splashed some water on the cat kwami. 

“Hey!” the little being cried. Plagg blew on the water, and a small tsunami formed in the bathtub. Purple bubbles flew into Adrien’s face, blinding him. The kwami cackled; the boy grumbled at first, wiping his eyes, but joined soon with a belly laugh. The figures just sat there in the same embrace, looking at each other with blank expressions.

When the laughter died down, Adrien cleared his throat. “Thank you, Plagg,” he said, gently scratching the kwami’s head. “You always manage to cheer me up even on the darkest days.”

“Whatever,” Plagg shrugged, flying up and settling on Adrien's hair that was slightly damp from the steam. “You will pay me later with the cheese that we talked about recently.” He settled comfortably on the blond mop of hair and started purring.

Adrien closed his eyes and sighed. “I guess this is a reasonable price for your encouragement.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can click through linked series to read more songfics or find me on [Tumblr](https://noirequin.tumblr.com)  
> where I'll be sharing my works and talk about my sources of inspiration.  
> If you’re writing/reading fanfiction or drawing MLB fanart and looking for friendly and supportive community, you can [join us today](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) on **Miraculous Fanworks Discord server**!


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